Pathway to Building Community Partnerships: Failing Forward Towards Leveraging Key Connections To Grow A Business
Ngobitak Williamson, Black Mentor Network, Cohort 10
Have you ever had a great idea and struggled to spread the word about this idea or had difficulty getting people to support it? As new social entrepreneurs, I think we’ve all been in this place at one point or another. My name is Ngobitak Williamson and I am the founder of a nonprofit organization called Black Mentor Network. We are an education collective of Black professionals providing resources to Black students interested in discovering more about various career paths. Our mission is to uplift, inspire, and empower the next generation of Black leaders to achieve excellence in their career of choice.
Photos from a fundraiser I attended at Harlem Boys and Girls Club in September 2023. Their mission is to provide access and opportunities for youth to reach their full potential as members of the community.
One of the pillars of Black Mentor Network is building community partnerships. I have a vision to host our first in-person event in Harlem and also to award one or two college scholarships for Harlem-based high school seniors this upcoming spring 2024. Our event will be a free career workshop for students to explore and learn more about different career paths. However, because my organization has mainly provided virtual programming, I knew that to have a successful event in the community, I would need to partner with other organizations that are already doing work in the community.
The optimistic side of me thought this would be easy enough. I just had to reach out to these community organizations, let them know that I was offering something cool and free, and they would enthusiastically agree to come along for the ride. Reality soon slapped me in the face, as I have met several obstacles in trying to form these initial connections that could lead to possible partnerships. I’m here to share my journey in case it resonates with other new founders, and also to set a realistic perspective of what the journey is like. I hope this helps a new founder who is on their way to doing or creating something great.
First Stop on the Journey: The Initial Google Search
I started out by doing what anyone else would do to get information: asking Google. I googled “harlem education nonprofits” or something along those lines to get an initial list of organizations that I could start reaching out to. This was a pivotal first step which was extremely useful.
Second Stop: Reaching Out to Organizations Through Their Website
Once I had an initial list of organizations put together, I started reaching out to them via their company websites and the emails I found on their websites. This is when the negative energy started flowing! From the organizations that I reached out to via email, I only received one response back about connecting further, and this response came several weeks later. This was extremely discouraging.
Third Stop: Using the Communitas Network to Make Initial Contacts
If you are a Communitas America alum and you find yourself stuck, always remember that you have the network to lean on for advice and support! I reached out to Erum Naqvi, Program Manager at Communitas America, and explained to her the difficulties I was having. She connected me to another alum, Daquan Hawkins, co-founder of LBX Sports, who was able to provide some guidance and insight on my situation. Moral of the story: use your resources!
Fourth Stop: Leveraging Social Media
Connecting with organizations and their leaders via social media actually yielded me the best results. Through one of my story posts on Instagram, I was able to connect with a staff member at an organization called Bottom Line and meet with her team. This staff member had actually attended my Communitas pitch night, and I didn’t even realize. LinkedIn is also a fabulous and useful resource. You can type in an organization name and search by “people” to see current employees. You can message and connect with current staff directly. Through LinkedIn, I was able to connect with a board member from an organization called Harlem Grown. I had tried reaching out to them via email previously, but LinkedIn served to be way more efficient. Major takeaway: use LinkedIn to connect with people directly and make initial introductions!
Fifth Stop: Attending Community Events
A large part of forming community partnerships involves attending community events. Think: If you want people to support you, you have to support them! This part of the journey is interesting because it almost reminds me of being a politician. You have to interact with the organization and get “face time” with staff members and key stakeholders. I recently attended events for two nonprofits: Harlem Grown and Harlem Boys & Girls Club. I used these events to learn more about these organizations and their missions, and to connect with staff members. Keep in mind that though the organization’s founder or CEO is often present at large community events, you may have very limited time/no time to actually speak to this person directly. This was the case for me, but I still wholeheartedly believe that attending these events is very important if you are serious about developing meaningful relationships with community-centered organizations.
Sixth Stop: Continuing Connections
After meeting with organizations virtually or in person, be sure to send follow up emails to say thank you and make your “ask”. This “ask" could be just staying in touch, or requesting a follow up meeting or meeting with another staff member to continue spreading the word about your organization and what you have to offer.
Finally, I’ll end with this sentiment: Though it’s common to feel discouraged as a new social entrepreneur, keep pushing towards your goal and stay hopeful. As the saying goes, “It’s about the journey, not just the destination.” You may feel like you have a long way to go, but look at how far you’ve come!
Photos from a volunteer day I participated in at Harlem Grown in September 2023. Their mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy lives through mentorship and hand-on education in education, sustainability, and nutrition.
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